Just-in-Time Teaching (JiTT) is an innovative method that enables faculty to increase interactivity in the classroom and engage students in learning. By creating a feedback loop between students' work at home and the classroom setting, time on task is improved in both quality and quantity. This paper includes an introduction to JiTT and evidence of its effectiveness. It concludes with a discussion of our efforts to disseminate JiTT since it was developed in the 1990's.
A sample of 274 Vietnam-era veterans seeking treatment for substance abuse was divided on the basis of combat experience and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III; APA, 1980) criteria of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Veterans with evidence of PTSD were compared with a non-PTSD group of Vietnam combat veterans and a noncombat group of Vietnam-era veterans on measures of specific interpersonal problems using the Horowitz Interpersonal Problem Inventory (Horowitz, 1979), as well as more traditional mea'sures of family and social adjustment and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). The PTSD group scored significantly higher on clusters of problems dealing with intimacy and sociability than did either of the comparison groups. PTSD veterans also scored higher on the MMPI scales of Paranoia, Psychopathic Deviate, Social Introversion, Social Maladjustment, Family Problems, and Manifest Hostility but did not differ from other groups on the Family Environment Scale (Moos, 1974) variables. The results, which were not attributable to premilitary adjustment differences or to confounding demographic variables, are compared to previous studies, and research questions that remain outstanding are discussed.
Since the introduction in 1993 of the World Wide Web and the associated multimedia technologies numerous projects are underway introducing the new tool into introductory physics teaching. This paper will describe two such undertakings: The Cockpit Physics project at the United States Air Force Academy and the WebPhysics project at Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis.
We have developed five introductory electricity and magnetism lessons composed of student activities centering on analysis of short clips from popular movies. We describe our motivation for doing this, the kinds of activities, and offer our materials to those interested.
Physics students are intrigued by activities in space. To link this natural curiosity with solid problem-solving skills, we developed a spreadsheet simulation for satellites moving through an atmosphere of variable density. The simulation-laboratory has been used in U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA) introductory physics classes for several semesters. Spreadsheet variants have also been used in a USAFA advanced division space physics class, a high school advanced placement physics class, and in the Center for Integrated Space Weather Modeling graduate summer school course.
We thank Bob Noyd for sharing his insights on an early version of the observation form, as well the Academy's Biology, Chemistry, and Physics Departments for assistance and feedback in our initial pilot testing.
Over the last 8 years, the physics educational community has developed a new learning strategy known as Just-in-Time Teaching (JiTT). In this approach, students are required to answer short questions posted on the web at least two hours before class. Questions are typically more openended and conceptual rather than mathematical. The instructor then reads through the student answers before class and tailors the classroom experience based on student understanding. For new topics, many students will appreciate some aspects of the idea, but different students will grasp different aspects of the subject matter. By presenting the answers from different students the instructor can build up an understanding of the complex idea. In this way, students feel greater ownership of the course, come better prepared to class, and have more productive interactions with the professor. Examples of the use JiTT in undergraduate physics will be presented and a framework for applying the techniques to Mechanics described.
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